R-E-S-P-E-C-T

You just had to know that Ranunculus sceleratus was going to sneak his way back into the Dandelion patch. With not much controversy (yet) generated by the budget, he was forced to go off broadway for some media action. Looks like he got it:
http://www.vocm.com/news-info.asp?id=35074
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/03/27/kennedy-nurses-offer.html

Wow: off-script collective bargaining! What will the Eighth Floor think up next? Off-script government?

Here's Debbie Forward quoted in the Tely: "We've tried to respect the process all along ... we certainly expected government to respect this process, and it appears today they are not doing that." http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=236437&sc=79

What a week. It's been hard to keep up with the steady stream of Golden Oldies. Yesterday, we had the Carpenters. Now it's Aretha Franklin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrV0c9ETnWo

There is a difference with this performance, however. This is one of those duets where the two singers belt it out in competition rather than cooperation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TolafQhqh7w

Jerome and Debbie, together again, singing off-key again, arguing about respect. Again.

Out of all the unions to pick on, Dangovt targets the nurses. They say they are masters of the universe, but they cannot negotiate a deal with nurses. DW's attitude was summed up by his attempt at humour: http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=217282&sc=82

It's not so funny, however, when you have family in need of surgery. It's not so funny when their health depends on nurses. It's not so funny when Dangovt wants to turn collective bargaining into a media circus. But I guess they've done their polling, so now it's time for a shaft.